What are you waiting for?

So often in life we look for the perfect moment, or for things to be just right in order for us to move forward or even get started on doing something we love. We put our passion on hold because we want other people to be happy first or we may want other people’s approval on our plans. Sometimes we wait for the perfect job or the right amount of money & leave our desires behind.

As a graduate, I understand the struggle that many people face in pursuing their dream career. We can be faced with the pressure of pleasing our family’s wishes and expectations, be forced with the idea that we are surrounded by competition within the same field, and also with society’s expectations to leave education, land a great job and start building our own families (all in that order). A lot of the time this pressure makes us rush into jobs we don’t enjoy because we feel we need to move at the same pace as other people or don’t want to let people down. We can’t always live like that. You set your own standards and your own pace. It’s not bad to want the best for others but when it hinders our own growth and progression, it becomes a problem. It’s important not to fall under other people’s ideals and put your own desires on hold.

Often we want things to be perfect because we’re afraid of failing. Failure is a choice. You only fail if you don’t try. We put off making key steps in the right direction because the destination seems too far away to try alternative routes to the ones people tell us, or what we already know. We can find ourselves holding back because we want certain things to fall into place first but sometimes there are little steps we can take to get things moving. There are always unconventional methods that can be explored and we just need to think outside the box. Life is what you make it, literally. It can be very simple if you let yourself view it that way.

Procrastination is a killer of so many hopes and dreams. In some circumstances it really isn’t our fault, we become a product of our environment and what we’re used to. The environment plays its part as a home for the fears keeping us from our passions, visions and plans for our lives. The fear of failure, the fear of disappointing others or even yourself, the fear of missing the mark, the fear of not having enough or knowing enough, the fear of not being good enough, the fear of not being like other people. The fear of not having enough money to get started, the fear of other people’s opinions, the fear of not succeeding as quickly or in the way the way that you want to and so much more. All of these fears can weigh so heavy on our hearts, hold us back, and do so much harm. But what is fear? It’s a perception. It isn’t real. It’s false evidence appearing real. Fear is your mind telling you something counter to progress. How will you know how far you can go if you’re scared to take the first step? How will you know your potential if you never give something your all? Never do anything with half a heart.

One thing that hurts my heart the most is seeing people with so many talents, skills, levels of knowledge, understanding, wisdom and creativity who don’t believe in themselves. The condition of your heart and the state of your mind have to be in sync. You have to allow your mind to think what your heart speaks. Listen to that little voice, and listen often. “Where your treasure is, there your heart is also” (The Bible, Matthew 6:21), and it will lead you right where you need to be.

If you want something bad enough, you’ll do whatever it takes to get that thing. You really need to make sure it doesn’t slip from your reach. Sometimes you have to just take a leap and be bold. Sometimes you have to do what you don’t want to do in order to get to where you want to be. What are you willing to give? Hold on to your vision and understand that every moment counts. Every step is moving you closer to your destination.

This life is a beautiful journey. There’s even beauty in the midst of chaos. You have to look for that little light and those lessons. What can you gain from each experience? What have those people taught you about yourself? How can you use that to push you in the right direction?Sometimes thinking too much about how we’re going to get to a certain point in our lives makes us forget about the actual journey. One of the best and often hardest things to do is just relax and go with the flow of the process. We have a lot more control of the journey than we realise but we also shouldn’t spread ourselves too wide and overcommit to things that distract us. Our minds are like sponges, they absorb whatever we allow in there, which in effect shapes our perception of what we see around us. You have to have a positive mental attitude at all times. As hard as things can seem sometimes, it doesn’t mean anything is beyond your reach. You have to train your mind and it takes a lot of work. Tune your mind to the rhythm of your own heart and anything is achievable. Small steps can lead you to big places but it all begins with you. It begins in your mind. Studies show that positive affirmations work by instructing the mind how to rethink. Repetition reprograms the mind to believing the chosen concept because the mind doesn’t know the difference between real and fantasy, only what you tell it. Affirm everyday the things you want to achieve and that you’re more than capable of achieving them. Tell yourself how much you love yourself, even if it’s hard to believe at first, keep telling yourself. When you’re able to love yourself completely, unapologetically, you’ll let yourself have everything you deserve to have and more. It takes time but just believe and trust in your ability to do and be more. Make a list of how you want to feel and speak it to yourself everyday as though you already have it. An example taken from my own practice:

“Everyday in every way I’m getting better and better

Everyday in every way I’m growing stronger, bolder and wiser

I am loveable

I am loved

I am love..”

Some people and things are right in front of us to help us become better versions of ourselves, but we need to recognise that. Take a step back and really look at where you are in life. Are you doing all you can possibly do to get to where you want to be? Are you surrounded by like-minds? Are you putting yourself in a position to learn from people who’ve been there, or people who are travelling along the same path? Are you happy with where you are physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually? Are you happy with your job? If not then why not? What can you do more & who can you turn to? We shouldn’t be afraid to reach out to our resources, that’s why they’ve been given to us. People and situations don’t just appear in our lives for no reason. There’s always, always, always room for more. Keep searching, keep applying your knowledge and keep growing. Maximise the potential of everything and everyone around you.

“We all have to choose one of two disciplines. What we want now and what we want most.” Time isn’t promised. What are you waiting for?

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